Ripples in a Paddling Pool
by ravengal
Summary: Now that Ash is much older, feelings he never knew he had bubble to the surface unexpectedly. He's a fish out of water now, for sure. Pokeshipping.
1. A Drop in the Bucket

Author's note: Hi!

... I don't even know, man. XD I just felt like writing this thing, I guess.

Dedicated to the classic Pokemon pairing! The first one I ever shipped! The one that is more nostalgic to me than any other!

Can pokeshipping ever be written right? I dunno, man. Younger me failed at it, so older me is giving it another try, for old times' sake!

Take it away, fic!

P.S. One point to you if you can guess what the title means and another point to you if you can guess the outfits that are described.

* * *

**Chapter One****: A Drop in the Bucket**

Ash smiled as he watched Pikachu and Buneary cuddle up together by the campfire. It had been many years since the two Pokemon had met, but meeting up with Dawn again and travelling with her had caused something to happen between them. He didn't know what had been said, or even when it had happened, but it had made them a couple.

"Oh, they're so cute, aren't they, Ash?" Dawn asked in a quiet voice, so as not to disturb them.

"Yeah, they are," Ash replied in an equally quiet voice.

"She's liked him for so long that it's really nice to see them together, at last."

"Yeah."

In truth, he'd never really understood love. It had always been a foreign concept to him. Three things that he _did_ understand quite well were Pokemon, battling and friendship. Over the years, however, he'd gradually begun to understand. Little by little, he'd begun to piece together exactly what love was and why people felt it. Pikachu dating Buneary had, of course, been the biggest learning experience.

Dawn giggled. "Kinda makes me wish I had a boyfriend, too."

"Yeah?"

"Mmm... but I've got no one in mind at the moment." She paused. "What about _you_, Ash? Did _you_ ever have a crush?"

He paused in thought. It was honestly never something he'd considered before.

"I dunno..."

"You don't know? How could you not know that?"

"I guess I never really thought about it..."

"Hmm... what about any of your travelling companions?"

Ash looked down at the grass and frowned in thought. In his mind, he cycled backwards through them all. Were there any that had even remotely stirred up those feelings in him?

As he pulled his knees up to his chest, many female faces flashed by in his thoughts, one after another. All of them were smiling and calling his name. Each one spoke a catchphrase or displayed some type of quirk.

Eventually, his thoughts landed on a girl from his distant past. One that he'd not seen for a very long time. His mind replayed the moment when he'd said goodbye to her. How his heart had ripped in two. Then the moment they'd met up again. How his stomach had fluttered and his heart had leapt into his throat.

He exhaled sharply. "No way..."

"Hmm? What's wrong, Ash?"

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked.

Ash looked up to see Pikachu leaning against Buneary, while giving him a worried look.

He tried to smile. "I'm fine, Pikachu," he said, "don't worry."

"Pika?"

"Is something the matter?" Dawn asked.

"No, I... just had a weird thought, is all," Ash replied.

"About what?"

"... N-Nah, it doesn't matter."

"Come on, Ash, you can talk to me."

"... Boy, it sure is late, huh, Dawn? It's about time I slept!" He jumped into his sleeping bag and lay down. "Goodnight!"

"Ash!"

"Pi?" Pikachu asked.

"Buneary..." Buneary said.

"Ash, what is wrong with you?" Dawn asked in annoyance. She paused. "And you never answered my question."

"Question?" Ash asked. "What question? I don't remember a question!"

"Ash..."

"Pika..." Pikachu said.

"Night, Dawn!" Ash said. He pretended to snore.

Dawn huffed. "You haven't grown up at all, have you?" she asked.

He immediately stopped snoring and gazed sadly at the grass.

"Pi..." Pikachu said.

"What's wrong, Ash?"

There was a long pause. Eventually, Ash sat up and looked Dawn in the eye. "I..." he replied. "How do I...?"

Dawn tilted her head at him. "Hmm?"

He looked away awkwardly. "I think I may have..."

"Hmm? What?"

Ash paused. After a few moments, he growled in frustration. "How am I supposed to say that I may like one of my friends, huh? How do you _do_ that?"

Dawn blinked at him. "You do?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said in surprise.

"I thought about it and then I..." he said. He growled in frustration again. "I don't know _what_ to think right now! I never thought about it before, but now that I've thought about it, I'm really confused!"

"... Who is it?" Dawn asked.

Ash deflated. "I..."

"... Pikachupi?" Pikachu asked.

"Bun?" Buneary asked the mouse.

"Pika, Pi Pikachu..."

Ash got the strange feeling that Pikachu knew who he was talking about. He couldn't actually understand the Pokemon's language, but, somehow, he could feel that he knew. He blushed.

"It's, uh..." he replied, "it's..."

"Hmm?" Dawn asked. "May?"

"No..."

"Iris?"

"No..."

Dawn blushed. "... It's not _me_, is it?"

"No!" Ash paused. "It's... Misty."

"Pikachu!" Pikachu chirped happily.

"Buneary?" Buneary asked.

_I knew it..._ Ash thought. Pikachu had known all along. He lowered his hat over his eyes in embarrassment.

"Hmm..." Dawn replied. "Oh, wait! She's the girl on your lure, isn't she? That red-head!"

"Yeah..."

"And you like her?"

"Yeah..."

"Wow! I'm actually surprised!"

He cautiously looked up at her. "Why?"

"Because since when have you ever been into girls? I honestly thought you'd die a lonely old man!"

He looked away grumpily. "Oh, come on..."

"What?" She paused. "Either that, or you'd marry your Pokemon, or something!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried in horror.

"Alright, I get it..." Ash replied.

Dawn giggled. "Sorry," she said. She paused. "Seriously, though, I had a feeling all those years ago that maaaaybe you liked her. Just a hunch."

He glanced back at her. "Really?"

"Mmm-hmm! I have a good sense for these things! Right, Buneary?"

"Buneary Bun!" Buneary replied happily.

"Though you were a liiiitle naïve at the time, so I figured you probably didn't even realise."

"Well, thanks..."

"What do _you_ think, Pikachu?"

Pikachu hopped over and stood in front of Ash. He folded his arms and nodded knowingly. "Pika Pika..." he said.

"... You knew, even before _I_ did, didn't you, buddy?" Ash asked.

"Piiii..." Pikachu gave him an exasperated look. "Pikachu..."

"Man, that's... kind of embarrassing."

Dawn laughed. "Only you, Ash..." she said.

After a moment, Ash sniggered. Then he burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Everyone around the campfire laughed with him.

* * *

It was finally the end of another adventure. Ash had said goodbye to Dawn – promising to travel with her and Buneary again some other time – and returned home.

He'd sat around for some time, thinking about things, until an idea suddenly came to mind. He slurped down the rest of his soup.

"Mom, I'm going out for a while!" he said, getting out of his chair.

Delia gave him a sad smile. "Off on another adventure, Ash?" she asked.

"Nah, I'll be back in about... I dunno, two weeks?"

"Pika!" Pikachu said, jumping off the table onto his shoulder.

Delia's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked.

He looked at her. "Hmm?" he replied.

"I'm surprised." She smiled. "Normally, you just rush off on your next adventure immediately. I was kind of expecting it, so I made you a new set of clothes."

Ash paused, staring at her. "Mom..."

"Let me go get them for you!" She stood up and walked out of the room.

"Mr. Mime!" Mimey said, following her.

Ash stood there, staring at the door. She was right. He'd never really thought about it, being the excitable youth that he'd always been, but she was right. He'd come home after an adventure, then immediately go on the next one, without any thought to his mother. When was the last time they'd spent any time together? When was the last time he'd been around her for longer than a day?

Guilt started to build in his chest. He gave Pikachu a sad sideways glance, which was returned in equal measure. Pikachu knew what he was feeling. Their bond was so deep that they could understand each other without words.

He was growing up – learning about himself in ways that he never thought he would – and he wasn't sure he liked it.

* * *

It had taken a lot of travelling on foot – because, even after all these years, it was still his preferred mode of travel – but he'd finally made it. Directly in front of him was the Cerulean Gym.

He suddenly felt nervous. More nervous than he could ever recall feeling. He was just visiting a friend, right? What was wrong with that? There was nothing to be nervous about!

He fidgeted with his red and white jacket, which was resting on his black T-shirt. This was a nice outfit that his mother had made for him. He honestly preferred blue, but he wasn't going to complain. Suddenly conscious of his looks, he brushed imaginary dust off his light blue jeans.

"Pikapi?" Pikachu asked from his shoulder. "Pikachu?"

"I'm fine, Pikachu!" he replied with a smile. "Just gonna say 'hi' to a friend!" He paused. "A friend I haven't seen in years... A friend I..." He shook his head and frowned. "No! I can do this."

He straightened his red and white cap and headed for the building. Once he reached the door, he paused, his hand on the handle. He glanced at Pikachu, who nodded at him.

"Pika!" Pikachu said.

Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked inside.

"Hello?" he called out, closing the door behind him. He received no answer, so he decided to walk around. "Hello? Anyone here?" There was still no answer. "I'm here to see the gym leader! Hello?"

Suddenly, a blonde-haired woman appeared from around the corner. She was staring at a clipboard.

"Like, hello and stuff," she said, noting something down. "Sorry. Very busy." She pointed her pen towards the nearest hallway. "If you want the gym leader, she's, like, down that way."

Ash paused a moment as he tried to remember the woman's name. Eventually, it came to him.

"Daisy?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at him. "Do I, like, know you?"

He smiled. "It's me, don't you remember? Ash, from Pallet Town!"

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said happily.

Daisy paused a few moments, then gasped and dropped her clipboard. "Like, ohhhh, my gosh!" she cried. "It's you! It's, like... totally you! My little sister's boyfriend from all those years ago!"

Ash blushed. "B-Boyfriend?" he asked. "I'm not her boyfriend!"

"How cuuuute! You're, like, still denying it!" She winked, pointing the pen at him. "You just, like, wait there and I'll go get her, kay?" She picked up her clipboard and ran off down the hallway. "Mistyyyy! There's, like, someone here to see youuuu!"

Ash could feel his heartbeat increasing, so he took a few soothing breaths to calm himself.

"Pikapi Pikachu?" Pikachu asked.

"I'll be fine, Pikachu..." he replied. He tapped his red and black sneaker on the floor anxiously.

"He's, like, down this waaaay!" Daisy called out.

"Come on, who is it?" a familiar voice asked. Ash felt his shoulders stiffen. "Is he a challenger?"

Suddenly, Daisy appeared back in the room. She twirled and pointed in Ash's direction with her pen.

"Like, why not ask him yourself?"

Misty shortly followed. Ash's eyes widened at how different she looked from when he'd last seen her. All this time, he'd been imagining the girl with the messy ginger hair in a side ponytail, but now she actually looked like a gym leader.

Her hair was now in a very messy bob cut and she appeared to be wearing a pale blue jacket over a white one-piece swimsuit. On her feet were a pair of white sandals.

Looking at her, though, made all the old feelings rush back at once. It all felt so familiar, yet so new at the same time. Only, now, he could put a name to these emotions. He wasn't sure he liked that.

She smiled at him. "Hi there! Welcome to the..." She froze, her eyes widening. "Ash?"

He smiled back. "Hey, Misty," he replied.

"Pikachupi!" Pikachu cried.

She beamed, rushing over to him. "Ash!" she cried. "And Pikachu! How long has it been?"

"_Too_ long!" Ash replied.

"Aww," Daisy said, "that's, like, so cute!"

Misty blushed, then frowned at her older sister. "Daisy!" she yelled.

"What? You've, like, finally been reunited with your boyfriend after all these years! It's, like, soooo romantic!"

"He's not my boyfriend!" She turned back to Ash, looking quite flustered. "Jeez..." After a moment, she smiled again. "Hey, Ash, how about I show you around the gym? It looks a lot different than the last time you saw it!"

"Yeah, okay!" Ash replied.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu said.

"And maybe you can tell me all about your adventures, while we're at it! I'm sure you've been on a lot since we last met."

"You bet I have! I've got a ton of stories to tell!" He glanced at Pikachu. "Right, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied.

"Great!" Misty said. "Just follow me, then." She began walking away.

"Alright," Ash replied, following her.

"Aww..." Daisy said as they passed her. "Like, how sweet..."

"Enough, already!" Misty snapped.

Ash gave a nervous chuckle, which Pikachu mimicked. Some things certainly hadn't changed...


	2. Making a Splash

Author's note: Heyooo! Good day to you all!

Please enjoy the latest installment of RIAPP! The title of which is about ripples shaking up the paddling pool that is Ash's childhood.

... a.k.a. me trying to sound clever.

Off we go!

... Also, this fic will likely be three chapters long. I actually planned it out for once. Yay, me!

* * *

**Chapter Two****: Making a Splash**

"Wow, really?" Misty asked with a grin, sitting cross-legged by the pool.

"Yeah!" Ash replied, sitting cross-legged beside her. "It was amazing! I really wish you could've been there to see it!"

"Me too! Wow, your adventures sound amazing."

"Yeah." He glanced at Pikachu, who was playing with Misty's water Pokemon nearby. "We've sure been on a lot, haven't we, buddy?"

"Pika!" Pikachu replied.

Ash looked around the room. "And, speaking of amazing... this place looks great!"

"Heh, thanks," Misty replied. "I've done my best to be a good gym leader over the years."

A wide grin spread across Ash's face. "Oh yeah? So, how about we have a battle?"

Misty gave him a curious look. "A battle?"

"Yeah! I wanna see just how strong you've gotten!"

Misty paused for a moment, then grinned. "Alright, then! I'll see if I can get Daisy to be our referee!"

Ash cheered. "Alright!"

* * *

Daisy stood on the side of the pool, Violet and Lily on either side of her, as Ash stared Misty down from across the water. Both trainers' feet were balanced on separate platforms that were floating on the water.

_Well, this is nostalgic..._ Ash thought with a small smile.

"Alright, lovebirds!" Daisy called out.

"Hey!" Misty angrily called back. "We're not-"

"This is, like, a one-on-one match in the form of a gym battle... except there's, like, no cascade badge on the line this time!"

"Ooh!" Violet said. "This is, like, so exciting!"

"Oh, I know!" Lily replied. "We're rooting for you, Misty!"

"Now," Daisy continued, "like, choose your Pokemon, okay?"

"Don't expect me to go easy on you, Misty!" Ash called out. _Where did that sudden burst of cockiness come from?_ he wondered.

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it, Ash!" Misty replied. She turned to her Pokemon, all of which were standing on the sidelines. She spun around. "Misty calls..." She pointed at one. "Azumarill!"

"Azu! Azu!" Azumarill cried, bounding happily over to his own floating platform. He gave a determined pose. "Azumarill!"

"Corsola Corsola!" Corsola called out encouragingly.

"Alright, Ash..." Misty said with a smirk, "your turn."

Smirking back, Ash reached down to grab a Pokeball from his belt.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu cried.

"Huh?" Ash asked, looking down at Pikachu. "What's up, buddy?"

Pikachu looked up at him in determination. "Pi Pikachu, Pikachupi..."

"... You wanna battle Misty? But you've never wanted to battle her _before_..."

Pikachu hesitated, looking over at Misty. "Pi..."

Misty beamed at him. "Don't worry, Pikachu," she said, "I can handle it now."

"Pi..."

"No matter what, you're _still_ a Pika-pal!"

Pikachu immediately brightened up. "Pika!" He jumped onto the platform. "Pika."

"Alright!" Daisy cried happily. "Let's totally get this show on the road!" She held up her arm. "Ready? AAAAnd..." She swung her arm back down. "Like, begin!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

Pikachu charged up electricity in his cheeks. "Piiika..." he said. He let the attack fly in a stream of yellow light. "Chuuuu!"

"Azumarill, dive underwater!" Misty cried.

"Azu!" Azumarill replied, diving into the pool and avoiding the blast.

"Pikachu, electrocute the water!" Ash cried.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Misty replied. "Azumarill, use Scald!"

Azumarill leapt out of the water. "Azu!" he cried. He took a deep breath, then spewed boiling water towards Pikachu. "Azumarill!"

The water hit Pikachu square in the face. "Chaaa!" he cried.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried. The mouse shook the water from his face. "Use Electro Ball!"

"Piiika Pikaaaa..." Pikachu formed a ball of electricity with his tail, then swung his body around. "Chu!" The ball flew towards Azumarill and smacked him in the face.

"Azuuuu!" Azumarill cried, falling into the pool.

"Azumarill!" Misty cried.

"Go, go, Misty!" Violet cried. "You can do it!"

"This is, like, so incredibly _awesome_!" Lily cried.

"We're not out of it yet!" Misty cried. "Azumarill, Aqua Tail!"

Azumarill burst out the water. "Azu!" he cried. Water swirled around his tail as he sailed through the air towards Pikachu. "Azuuuu..."

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Ash cried.

"Piiiika..." Pikachu cried, his tail turning the colour of steel. He jumped into the air. "Chuuuu..." He spun around just as Azumarill did, the two tails clashing together. "Pika!"

"Azu!" Azumarill cried.

"Go get him, little sis!" Violet called out.

"Yeah!" Lily called out. "Like, show him who's boss!"

The two Pokemon broke away from each other, flying backwards and landing on their respective platforms.

"Azumarill!" Misty cried. "Use Scald!"

"Azu!" Azumarill replied. Once again, he inhaled before spewing out boiling water. "Azumarill!" The water hit Pikachu in the face.

"Chaaa!" Pikachu cried out.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried.

"Pika..." He flinched, his fur looking rather singed. "Pi..."

"Oh no!" Violet called out. "He's, like, totally burned!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

"Piiiika..." Pikachu built up electricity, then let it fly. "Chuuuu!" This time, the stream hit Azumarill, electrocuting him.

"Azuuuu!" he cried out.

"No, Azumarill!" Misty cried.

"Now, Pikachu!" Ash cried. "Use Quick Attack!"

"Pikapikapikapika..." Pikachu said, running around the platform in a zigzag pattern to build up speed. He leapt across to Azumarill and hit him with a full-body tackle. "Pika!"

"Azu!" Azumarill cried.

"Azumarill, use Aqua Tail!" Misty cried.

"Azumarill!" Water swirled around his tail and he swung it around to smack Pikachu in the face. "Azu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, falling into the water. After a moment, he resurfaced and swam back to his platform, still flinching.

"Alright, Azumarill..." Misty said, "use Scald again!"

"Azu..." Azumarill replied. He didn't move. After a moment, a tiny yellow spark flitted across his fur.

"Oh, my gosh!" Violet said. "He's, like, totally paralysed!"

"Like..." Lily replied, "that means one Pokemon's burned and the other's paralysed!"

Misty smirked. "Ha," she said. "Azumarill, use Refresh!"

"Azuuuu..." Azumarill said, glowing blue. After a few moments, he returned to normal. "Azu!"

"Now, use Play Rough!"

"Azu!" Azumarill's paws glowed pink. He leapt over to Pikachu's platform and began karate-chopping him on the head. "Azu! Azu! Azu!"

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu cried out.

Azumarill switched to slapping him across the face. "Azu! Azu! Azu!"

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash cried.

"Azumarill, counter with Scald!" Misty cried.

"Piiiika..." Pikachu said, building up electricity.

"Azu!" Azumarill said, leaping backwards into the air. He took a deep breath, then released a gush of boiling water. "Azumarill!"

The two attacks clashed, pushing desperately against one another.

"Piiii..."

"Azuuuu..."

Eventually, the water overpowered the electricity and slammed into Pikachu.

"Pikaaaa!" He flew off the back of the platform and landed in the water with a splash. Azumarill landed neatly back on his platform.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out. They waited a few moments, but the mouse didn't resurface. "Pikachu!"

"Dewgong, go!" Misty cried.

"Dewgong Gong!" Dewgong replied, leaping into the water.

After a few moments of anxious waiting, he resurfaced with Pikachu on his back. The mouse looked exhausted. Ash let out a breath of relief.

Daisy raised her arm. "Pikachu is, like, totally unable to battle!" she called out. She directed her arm towards Misty. "The winner is Azumarill!"

"Yay, we did it, Azumarill!" Misty called out in joy. "Way to go!"

Azumarill did a happy dance. "Azumarill~! Azumarill~!" he sang.

Ash knelt down and scooped up Pikachu. "You okay, buddy?" he asked with a small smile.

Pikachu gave a small smile in return. "Pika..." he replied.

Ash looked up at Misty. "Nice work, Misty. You've definitely improved a _lot_ since we last battled."

"Thanks!" Misty replied. "You too, Ash." She paused. "Hey, come on." She indicated the side of the pool. "Let's sit over there and I'll heal Pikachu, okay?"

"Sure."

"That was awesome, Misty!" Violet said.

"Yeah!" Lily agreed. "You, like, totally blew him away!"

"Never doubted you for a second, little sis."

"Well," Daisy said, "we'd best get back to, like, preparing for our photo shoot tomorrow. Gotta look gorgeous for those cameras! Now, what did I do with my checklist?"

"Oh, totally!" Violet agreed.

"Like, see you two later!" Lily said as the three walked out of the room.

"Bye!" Misty replied.

"Yeah, see ya!" Ash said.

* * *

As Azumarill's blue glow faded, he moved his tail away from Pikachu. The mouse sighed in relief.

"Feeling better, buddy?" Ash asked, once again sitting by the pool.

Pikachu smiled. "Pika!" he replied.

"That was a really fun battle, Misty!"

"Yeah!" Misty replied. She stroked Pikachu on the head. "You really did great out there, Pikachu."

"Chaaaa~!" Pikachu replied happily.

"... Oh, that reminds me!" Ash said. "Pikachu got himself a new girlfriend!"

"A _girlfriend_? Really? How cuuuute! What kind of Pokemon is she?"

"She's a Buneary! And she belongs to a friend of mine named Dawn."

"A Buneary?" Misty paused in thought. "I think I've heard of it, but what does it look like?"

"Here, I'll show you..." He dug around in his pocket and pulled out his Pokedex. Opening it, he entered the relevant data, then held it out for her to see. "Here you go!"

Misty's eyes sparkled when she saw the picture. "Oh, it's adorable!"

Ash pressed a button on his Pokedex. "Here," he said.

_Buneary, the Rabbit Pokemon,_ a robotic voice said. _When sensing danger, it extends both ears as an alert, and, when cold, it curls up and goes to sleep._

"Aww!" Misty said. "It's sounding cuter all the time! And this is your girlfriend, Pikachu?"

Pikachu blushed, looking embarrassed. "Pika," he replied.

"Wow, you're one lucky guy!"

He smiled, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Piiiika..."

"So, what about _you_, Ash? Do _you_ have a girlfriend, too?"

"Huh?" Ash asked. "Oh..." He smiled awkwardly. "Nah."

"Heh, shoulda figured." She smirked at him. "It's not like _you'd_ ever be interested in girls!"

Ash felt mildly offended. "Hey! I would too!"

"Mmm-hmm..."

"Well, what about you?" He smirked back. "I can't imagine _you_ with a boyfriend!"

Misty huffed. "For your information, Ash Ketchum, I _did_ have a boyfriend!"

Ash's smugness evaporated. "Wait, what? You did?"

"Yeah." She averted her eyes. "A guy named Georgio. I don't think you know him."

Suddenly, Ash felt a strange burning in his chest. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Years ago, he sent me a love letter. I turned him down at the time, because... Well, that's not important... but I finally gave him a chance a while ago."

The burning intensified. Ash frowned. "I see... and is he still...?"

"Nah, he broke it off with me a while back. He realised he was in love with someone else and went running off to find her. I've no idea if he found her yet."

The burning cooled off. "Oh, okay..."

Misty gave a small smile. "You remember Casey, right?"

"Casey... Oh, you mean that girl obsessed with baseball?"

"Yeah, her. She's the one Georgio went off to find."

"Oh, I see."

"Yeah..." Her smile brightened. "Well, I hope he finds her! They'd be cute together!"

Ash gave a small smile back. "Yeah." He paused. "So, you're not upset?"

"Nah. It was never really serious, anyway. Not sure I even liked him that way, to be honest."

"Ah." His spirits lifted slightly. "So, do you like anyone _now_?"

Misty blinked at him. "Huh? Oh, well... no one new..."

"Oh, okay." His spirits dropped slightly.

She smirked. "I'd ask the question back, but I doubt the answer's yes!"

Ash frowned. "Hey! I'll have you know that the answer _is_ yes!"

Misty stared blankly at him. "... Wait, what?"

He blinked at the sudden mood change. "Well, yeah... is there something wrong with that?"

"Uh, no... no, I _guess_ not..." There was a pause. "... So, do I know her?"

"Oh, well..." Ash glanced at Pikachu, who looked at him curiously. He gave Misty an awkward grin. "I guess you could say that!"

"How long have you liked her?"

"Oh, well... I dunno, really..." He glanced at Pikachu again. The mouse tilted his head at him. He looked away again. "But I only realised it a while ago."

"Huh..." She paused again. "So, who is it?"

A great thumping resounded in his chest. He looked Misty in the eyes and suddenly felt afraid. He jumped to his feet. "Boy, it sure is getting late! We should probably get going, right, Pikachu?" He gave a nervous laugh.

Pikachu gave him an unimpressed look. "Piiiikachu..." he said.

Misty huffed in annoyance, then looked out the window. "Yeah, you're right," she replied. "I guess it _is_ getting pretty late."

"It is?" Ash asked. "I mean, of _course_ it is! Yeah! Well, I'd best get going!"

She looked back at him. "Why don't you stay _here_ for the night? We have plenty of guest bedrooms." She smiled. "You can use one of those."

"Huh?" He paused, then smiled back. "Well, sure, okay! Sounds good!"

* * *

That night, arms folded behind his head, Ash stared up at the ceiling. Pikachu was curled up beside him on the bed, fast asleep.

He smiled to himself. It had been nice to see Misty again. It was weird, though; now that he thought about it, the burning feeling from earlier had felt strangely familiar, like a long-lost friend he'd not seen in years. It was puzzling, maybe even a little scary, but not entirely unwelcome.

By the time he realised what the emotion was, he was already drifting off to sleep.


End file.
